The best of Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen's aggressive strokeplay has enthralled fans ever since his debut in 2004. He has been a valuable player for England in all three formats of the game but it's in the Test arena that he has achieved maximum impact. Following his splendid double century in the first innings at Lord's, Pietersen became the 12th Englishman to reach 6000 runs. While this particular innings will no doubt go down as among his best, here is a look at some other famous Pietersen innings.

Pietersen had announced himself spectacularly in ODI cricket by thumping three centuries and a fifty during England's tour to South Africa in early 2005. Following an impressive showing in the Natwest tri-series featuring Australia and Bangladesh in the same year, he made his debut in the 2005 Ashes at Lord's and made an immediate impression by scoring three fifties in three innings. However, the final Test at the Oval proved to be his most defining moment.

Pietersen arrived under immense pressure with England 67/3 in the second innings and he survived an early chance when Shane Warne dropped him on 0. He counterattacked in brilliant fashion and took the strong Australian attack to the cleaners. Showing excellent technique and skill against both pace and spin, he was confidence personified and he reached his first Test century to shut the door firmly on Australia. By the time he departed for a brilliant 158, he had ensured that the Ashes returned to England after a period of 16 years.

England were staring down the barrel in the opening hour of the deciding Test match at Napier against New Zealand. They were reduced to 4/3 when Pietersen decided to dig in and grit out an innings that went against his aggressive approach. Pietersen was undergoing a slump in form with no fifty in 10 innings, and it was very important for him as well as England to get runs.

Playing with absolute caution, he hung in as wickets tumbled at the other end. He ended up with a well crafted 129, which contributed massively to England not being shot out in the first innings and ending up with 253 all out. As the pitch got easier, both England and New Zealand scored big runs in the second innings, but England's eventual victory margin was 121 runs - which puts Pietersen's effort in context as the single most important batting contribution of the match.

Given his South African heritage, it was only to be expected that whenever England faced off against South Africa, there would be no lack of needle from the Proteas towards Pietersen. Consequently, runs scored against his former country of residence, have always been special to Pietersen.

The script was followed before the start of the series with Graeme Smith and Pietersen having a verbal altercation. Putting that behind him, or possibly using that to spur him on, Pietersen scored a fluent hundred at Lord's. He survived a hostile spell from Dale Steyn, and steadily grew in confidence after that.

The standing ovation that he received after reaching his ton was a sight to behold, and made this possibly his most memorable hundred at Lord's. After the innings, he remarked that he never felt so loved.

Pietersen was undergoing another slump in form before this Test. Injuries had not helped his cause and he was also hungry for success against the old enemy after missing most of the Ashes in 2009 with an Achilles injury. He had last scored a Test hundred a year and a half ago, against West Indies in Port of Spain in March 2009. That was 17 Tests and 27 innings ago, during which time his average had plummeted to 36.2, and murmurs had started about his place in the starting eleven.

However, the team and the selectors kept the faith in him, even though there was no significant improvement in form before the 2010 Ashes. And their faith was vindicated, when Pietersen came good spectacularly.

Adelaide was a venue of painful memories for England's heart-breaking defeat there in the 5-0 blanking of 2006-07 (during which Pietersen had scored another century), but those memories were buried in 2010. After bowling out Australia for 245, Pietersen feasted on the weak Australian attack and scored his second double century. His knock of 227 ensured England were in a safe position and they went on to win the Test by an innings and 71. Four years apart, Pietersen had played two superb knocks at Adelaide, and reflecting the changed fortunes of the English team, one resulted in heart-breaking defeat, and one in dazzling victory.